Two General Electric Type I-A turbojet engines powered the first American jet aircraft, the Bell XP-59A, which first flew on October 2, 1942, near Muroc, California. The Type I-A was derived from the British Power Jets W.I.X., designed by Frank Whittle.

In 1941 Chief of the Air Corps Gen. H. H. Arnold negotiated with the British government for the transfer of a set of drawings and one Power Jets W.I.X. turbojet engine. Arnold selected General Electric to build experimental engines to Whittle's design, due to GE's experience with turbosuperchargers. The first GE engine, known as the Type I, ran on March 18, 1942, in Lynn, Massachusetts-the first jet engine to run in America. The I-A was an improvement of this engine.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date Circa World War II Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Turbines (Jet) Manufacturer General Electric Aircraft Engines
 Physical Description Type: Turbojet, Thrust: 6,450 N (1,450 lb) at 16,500 rpm Compressor: Single-stage centrifugal Combustor: 10 reverse flow combustion chambers Turbine: Single-stage axial Weight: 376 kg (830 lb) Dimensions 3-D: 175.3 × 105.4 × 106.7cm (5 ft. 9 in. × 3 ft. 5 1/2 in. × 3 ft. 6 in.)
Overall: 830lb. (376.5kg)
Other (Stand): 6 ft. 8 in. × 4 ft. × 4 ft. 4 in. (203.2 × 121.9 × 132.1cm)
 Materials HAZ MAT: Cadmium
Possible HAZ MAT: Asbestos
Aluminum Alloy
Ferrous Alloy
Paints
Copper Alloy
 Inventory Number A19650239000 Credit Line Transferred from the U.S. Department of Air Force, Headquarters Amarillo Technical Training Center, Amarillo AFB, Texas Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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